A foremost advocate of social justice in our time, Mr. Ruskin, has expressed a policy which may be taken as describing that which the directors have pursued more or less to this day: "The simplest and clearest definition of economy, whether public or private, means the wise management of labour, and it means this mainly in three sensesfirst, in applying your labour rationally; secondly, in preserving its produce carefully; lastly, distributing its produce seasonably."

Mr. Ruskin's scheme of economical policy is for the State, in which profits are neither made nor needed, as where all produce is "seasonably distributed" all life is profit. Since we are not in that Utopia yet, men have to unite in societies to control and share the profit made by purchase or by labour. In these directions the voices of the directors have oft been heard. How this has been done will be seen very clearly in the Chronicles of the Society from year to year. Great difficulties have been encountered, great exercise of patience has been exacted, but the march of the Society has ever been onward. The motto of the Leeds Society, like that of the City of Birmingham, always has been, and is, "Forward."

It has been held as remarkable that many of the most eminent Jewish doctors were humble tradesmen, and it is not less notable in its way that the men who have proved successful directors of the Society, came from the ordinary industrial ranks in the town. Notwithstanding, as high a quality of prevision, organisation, administration and judgment, has been manifested by them as any directorships have ever shown.

The Fifty-Eight Pioneers of Leeds.

[1847.)

CHAPTER VI.

HE following are the names of the Fifty-eight Pioneers of Leeds, all of whom held office, or performed some duty of importance in the interest of the Society, in the year 1847:

2 SMITH, JOHN (R). 3 SMITH, J. W.

SMITHSON, JOHN (R).

2 SMITHSON, JAMES.

2 SUMMERSCALE, SAM. (MR).
3 SWAINE, ZEBEDEE (R).
3 SWALLOW, WILLIAM.
2 TAYLOR, JOHN (MR).
2 THOMAS, G. W.
2 THOMPSON, HENRY.

2 WALKER, G. (R).
3 WALKER, JOHN..
3 WALKER, JAMES.
WALTER, JOHN (R).
2 WALTOR, JOHN.
1 WARD, WILLIAM.
3 WARD, B.

3 WORSNOP, Jos.
3 WRAY, W.

2 WRIGHT, SAMUEL.

The foregoing persons were members of the first two committees and first board of directors, who originated and organised the Great Leeds Society. It was not until thirtythree years after its commencement that the names of these founders were collected together. Fifty years have elapsed before they were classified and characterised as they are in these pages. When the Rochdale Society began, the town had only a population of 27,000. Leeds, when its co-operative society began, had a population of 164,000, six times larger than Rochdale, and its pioneers are double those of Rochdale, plus two. Rochdale had 28, Leeds 58. The seven names marked (1) were the seven Benyon Mill men who issued the first manifesto. The 25 names marked (2) were members of the second committee. The 21 names marked (3) were members of the first board of directors. Those names in the list having the letter (R) after their name in parenthesis, also were members of the "Provisional Committee," responsible for the rules, and whose names are published in the Rules of 1847, which were invented and drawn in that year. They were printed and published by Samuel Moxon, Queen's Court, Briggate, July, 1847. The names to which are attached the letters (MR) were the four flour members who signed the enrolled copy of the rules. The name of J. Parker occurs only in the minutes of March, 1847, as appointed to make a bargain with the owners of the mill.

Most of the names occur again and again, in after years, as presidents, secretaries, directors, and active members of the

There is another edition of the rules purporting to be printed "by Joseph Barker, printer and publisher, Wortley," bearing the same date, "July, 1847."

Society. Robert Ambler, one of the Benyon men, is among them, as will be seen as this narrative proceeds. David Green, whose name the reader has seen, was a well-known disciple of Robert Owen, and, as we have said, founder of the Redemption Society, which had subscribers in most parts of Great Britain. It was the last attempt to advocate and establish an industrial self-supporting community on principles of equity, after the manner of Robert Owen.

James Hole won distinction in letters. He was the first translator of Strass Leben Jesu, and afterwards secretary of the Chambers of Commerce. His last work was "Railways and the State," a volume of remarkable fiscal research and ability. His name will occur again in this story.

Sq. Farrar is the same name, though another person, as Squire Farrar, of Bradford, who was always in the front of every liberal movement until his death at the age of 93. Sq Farrar is a name of good omen.

Historical Chronicle year by year.

1847.

CHAPTER VII.

A NOVEL PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION-CO-OPERATORS IN A

ΤΗ

MINORITY.

HIS was the Founders' year, to which five chapters have been already devoted. The date is repeated here to complete the consecutive account of fifty years. Ten years before this date the writer had been about the country speaking and counselling co-operative efforts in one form or another-some for the establishment of self-supporting communities, some for store trading-and was therefore familiar with the agitation current in Leeds in those days. It was a year before the revolutionary year of 1848 that the Leeds flour movement began. Looking back to that time now, it seems strange that Leeds working men deferred so long to take their own affairs into their own hands, and still more strange that they should come to excel all other co-operative societies in extent.

The plan of distribution of the flour made was different from any other corn mill. It was to appoint shopkeepers to be their flour sellers. Numerous applications for agencies were received, and the selection was made with regard to distances from each other so that they might not overlap, and each agent have a fair field for increasing his sales. The agents had to pay all money, taken for flour, into the bank. By the end of 1847 the agents had paid in, to the Society's account, no less a sum than £4,986. The total payments